The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1887-01-22
THE STATE BAR ASSOCIATION.
The Presidents Address.


address, which was read BY the /
Vice President:
Gentlemen Of the Bar Association:
l take this, the first opportunity
which has occurred, to return you
my sincere Acknowledgements for
the high compliment conferred by
your selection of me as your pre-
siding officer. To be honored by
honorable men is a distinction al
ways of high character. and no
more honorable body is to be found
in any society, than the members
of the Bar.
You have formed this Associa-
tion to improve its members as in.
dlviduals and as a body, and to ell.
evate the profession to IFS highest
attainable point. 1t is a noble OBJ.
ject and one which will no doubt
be satisfactorily carried out.
The profession in every age has
furnished examples ofthe greatest
genius and the highest culture, of
which q notable instance is found
in the fact that a very interesting
controversy is now in progress to
determine whether the works of
the mightiest genins of all time
are really the works of Shakes.
peare, whose name they bear, or
of Sir Francis Bacon, who explo-
red the limits of all the learning
of his time, and whose name, al
though shadowed by one great
fault, stands out in the first and
foremost rank ofintellectual great.
ness and judicial strength.
The science itself Of Law, deyo.
ted as 1t is to all that men hold
dear-to the protection of life,
liberty, property and reputation
has always and must always num-
Der among its followers the high.
est types of moral and intellectual
capacity. Although the "mystery
of the law" has been the fruitful
source of criticism in all ages, the
law itself Is for the most part
plain and unambiguous. But the
Infinite diversity of human trans
actions aud interests makes its
application to the numerous and
changing vicissitudes of life often
o difficult task-so difficult indeed
as to render the minds of the
greatest breadth and most pro,
found insight its indispensable
ministers in every age. In pro
portion as civilization advances
the law expands, and embraces a
greater variety of objects, and
leaves nothing unprotected; il
becomes fitted to "inspeet o mite
or comprehend the heaven and
finds nothing too small or toe
great for its care. 1t is coeya
with the earliest formation of so
cioty and lasts as long as society
itself does. We cannot conceive
of society without it.
Cromwell said he "put the Par
lament in his breeches pocket ant
the King in his knapsack,p but ht
let the judiciary alone. Even bis
stern despotism could not be main
tanned without Il seeming admins
tration of the Law.
We have all heard that the at
tribute of infalllbility is conceded
to the Pope in theological matters
by the Catholics. Perhaps no ont
believes it, but it is done becaus,
1t is necessary to have some fna
point, some resting place in al
controversies. A similar conces
sion is made in every ciyilize'
: State to the ultimate and supreme
arbiters of the Law. Their deci
. sions are not only final, bur tn
: rule is adopted that they are in
fallible. They admit of no furthe
! question. We may feel confden
i that "a particular decision is wrong
but we admit that it is right, W
{ suucumb to the theory that thoa
G who pronounced it are infalliblt
!. because in no other way can th
y authority of the government b
# upheld. Hence the imperious M
+ cessity that the advocates VIII
y argue, and the judges who decide
8, should possess the most elevate
o moral and intellectual qualities {
n our nature, heightened and impr'
we'd by all the attainments whic
= study can compass. A lawyer
If education Is never completed
r. there is always something beyon
=. to be mastered.
N The vast influence of Law G
:. human affairs is nowhere more TO
\. clbly illustrated than IN the Roma
in Civil Law. Not only did its roo
h strike deep into the laws wherevi
Te the Roman army went, but Il
81. Spaniards and French carried
le with them into the new worl
he wherever their conquests or pow
lis extended. This embraced all